The Saudi Succession: Its Impact On Oil, Markets And Politics
As reported earlier, several hours ago Saudi Arabia announced that its 91-year-old King Abdullah had passed away, in the process setting off what may be a fascinating, and problematic, Saudi succession fight which impacts everything from oil, to markets to geopolitics, especially in the aftermath of the dramatic political coup in neighboring Yemen. As a reminder, it is Saudi Arabia whose insistence on not cutting oil production with the intent of hobbling the US shale industry has led to the splinter of OPEC, and to a Brent price south of $50. Which is why today’s event and its implications will be analyzed under a microscope by everyone: from politicians to energy traders.
Here, courtesy of Ecstrat’s Emad Mostaque, is an initial take at succession, the likely impact on oil, then the Saudi market & currency and finally regional politics.
Succession
The process of succession appears to have run smoothly with Prince Salman (79), Abdullah’s half-brother, being announced king and another half-brother and the youngest of his generation (at 69) Prince Muqrin being anointed the new Crown Prince as expected. King Salman has significant financial and power backing as one of 7 sons of Hassa al Sudairi (known as the “Sudairi Seven”) and King Abdulaziz and as such is unlikely to be challenged. Salman is commonly known for his charitable giving and conservative nature, please contact us for other details.
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